Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 44

पाशुपतज्ञानप्रश्नः — Inquiry into Pāśupata Knowledge

Paśu–Pāśa–Paśupati

Devanagari script

आज्ञाबलात्तस्य धरा स्थितेह धराधरा वारिधराः समुद्राः । ज्योतिर्गणाः शक्रमुखाश्च देवाः स्थिरं चिरं वा चिदचिद्यदस्ति

Transliteration

ājñābalāttasya dharā sthiteha dharādharā vāridharāḥ samudrāḥ | jyotirgaṇāḥ śakramukhāśca devāḥ sthiraṃ ciraṃ vā cidacidyadasti

Translation

凭祂命令之威力，大地安住于此；群山、载云者与诸海各守其位。众光明之群与以因陀罗为首的诸天亦得长存。凡一切存在——有知与无知——皆久住坚固，皆由那至上主宰（Pati）所摄持。

Word by Word

• ājñā-balāt: by the power of (his) command
• ājñā-balāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ājñā (प्रातिपदिक) + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘ājñāyāḥ balam’; Neuter (नपुंसक), Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन)

• tasya: of him; his
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular

• dharā: the earth
• dharā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्री), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• sthitā: stands; is established
• sthitā: Karta-sāmānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-सामानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthā (धातु) → sthita (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: PPP (क्त), Feminine (स्त्री), Nominative, Singular; agrees with ‘dharā’

• iha: here
• iha: Deśa (देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: Deictic adverb (देशवाचक-अव्यय)

• dharā-dharāḥ: mountains
• dharā-dharāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharā (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘dharāṃ dharanti’ (earth-bearers = mountains); Masculine (पुं), Nominative, Plural (बहुवचन)

• vāri-dharāḥ: clouds
• vāri-dharāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāri (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘vāriṃ dharanti’ (water-bearers = clouds); Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• samudrāḥ: oceans
• samudrāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुं), Nominative, Plural

• jyotis-gaṇāḥ: hosts of lights (luminaries)
• jyotis-gaṇāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jyotis (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘jyotiṣāṃ gaṇāḥ’; Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• śakra-mukhāḥ: with Indra as their chief
• śakra-mukhāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Bahuvrīhi (बहुव्रीहि) ‘whose foremost is Śakra’; Masculine, Nominative, Plural; qualifies ‘devāḥ’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय)

• devāḥ: gods
• devāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुं), Nominative, Plural

• sthiram: steadily; firmly
• sthiram: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसक) used adverbially, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• ciram: for a long time
• ciram: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial accusative (द्वितीया-अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग) meaning duration

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Disjunctive particle (विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय)

• cit: conscious (principle) / even
• cit: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cit (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) ‘even/indeed’; in pair with ‘acit’

• acit: insentient (principle)
• acit: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: acit (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Particle/term ‘unconscious, insentient’; paired expression ‘cid-acit’

• yat: whatever which
• yat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Relative pronoun (यद्), Neuter (नपुंसक), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular; correlates with implied ‘tat’

• asti: is; exists
• asti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Devas

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It declares Shiva as Pati—the supreme Lord whose will upholds both the sentient (cit) and insentient (acit) worlds, teaching that stability in creation comes from divine sovereignty, not mere material causation.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

The Linga is revered as the sign of Shiva’s all-pervading lordship; worshipping Saguna Shiva through the Linga trains the mind to recognize that all cosmic order—gods, oceans, mountains, and beings—rests on His governing presence.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as the inner ruler (antaryāmin) while repeating the Panchakshara “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” offering water (jalābhisheka) to the Linga as a symbol that even oceans and clouds move by His command.